Some LGBTs in Houston are not thrilled that this year’s Pride theme is “Wonderland,” while other cities are switching up their parades to protests. The Houston Chronicle published a piece from Andrew Edmonson, former chairman of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, where he challenged the Pride committee to “embrace the parade’s rich history of political struggle” and “jettison the escapist theme.” “Rally Houston Pride marchers under a new theme that responds to this particular political moment in the Lone Star State: ‘Standing Tall with Transgender Texans.'”

The rates are anti-LGBTQ bullying are going up. A new RTI study, “Violence and LGBTQ Communities: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Know?” finds that “the trend is toward victimization worsening, not getting better,” with Emily Greytak, the director of research at GLSEN, positing that “as visibility increases, so does the backlash, and trans youth are used as targets.”

And this is so important to address, especially in places where visibility and acceptance is low to begin with, like Alabama.

Beloved web series “Carmilla” is now becoming a film, and shooting is underway in Toronto. Even if you weren’t into the vampy lez YouTube show, you might be into the movie (and then, obviously, you’ll go back and watch everything you missed).

Tig Notaro had a show at Largo this week, where she allowed friend and special guest Ellen DeGeneres to pop by and try out some of her new stand-up that will surely make its way to her new Netflix special.

The always-inclusive Brooklyn Museum is offering a series of short films by “young, black, queer, female-identified, and gender-nonconforming artists based in Brooklyn.” Check it out on Thursday, with screenings at 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm.

Queer-themed, Chicago-based web series “Brown Girls” has gotten the attention of HBO, and the creators (Fatimah Asghar and Sam Bailey) have signed a development deal which hopefully means we’ll get some of their hilarious, witty, sexy, worthy stories on the boob tube soon.
Photo by Brown Girls

Looking for some poetry, my friends? Try trans writer E. Parker Phillipswhose work is influenced by “yoga and BDSM.” “Poems, BDSM, yoga — these are my lifelines,” s/he says. “Sharing these practices with other people amplifies their meaning and helps me push the boundaries of the various forms. When I try to live up to the expectations of what I perceive as the mainstream poetry world, I end up not writing.” SNAP SNAP SNAP.